(Warning: I've got a big buzzkill of a food fact at the bottom of this note, and I'm afraid you'll never forgive me for it. Read on, if you dare.)
Does food taste different if you eat it in silence? What about beer or wine? And do tastes have corresponding sounds?
Cheese brand Castello and agency Mother London delve into these questions (and quite a few more) with the first in a series of longform videos about taste and its odd interplay with your other senses.
Created with the foodie site Tastemade, the series features some pretty stunning short-form content for social, but the highlight is the first 10-minute video about "sharp" flavors ("creamy" and "crumbly" will be investigated in the near future).
At the center of the campaign is the idea of synesthesia, or a blurring between senses. (Agency David also played with this idea last year through its award-winning "Try Not to Hear This" Coca-Cola campaign.)
Castello looks at how music changes the way we perceive flavors, especially when compared to a silent room. If you've ever wondered why a dish might taste nuanced and stimulating in a restaurant, then fall flat at home, the answer might be more in the atmosphere than your skills in the kitchen.
If you're looking for a fun way to pass the time—and aren't we all—you might want to play with this idea this weekend. Be sure to watch the video for inspiration, and then let me know what you discover! You can reach me at the email below or @Griner on Twitter.
OK, are you ready for my buzzkill food fact?
My first job was at TCBY, shoveling frozen yogurt. One day, we ran out of chocolate, and the owner told me: "Just pour in vanilla mix. There's enough chocolate in the mixer to turn it brown." I said surely people will notice the flavor difference, and he looks at me like I'm an idiot. "David, they're the same flavor. One's just brown."
That's right. The chocolate and vanilla yogurts at TCBY are the same! Only your sight makes it taste different. (I can't vouch that this is still true all these years later, but when the world reopens, try a blind taste test next time you're at a yogurt shop and let me know how it goes.)
David Griner
Creative and Innovation Editor, Adweek
David.Griner@Adweek.com
Please consider supporting our journalism with an Adweek Pro Subscription and gain full access to all of Adweek's essential coverage and resources.